


All He Wants to Tell Her

by acuteneurosis



Series: All They Have [3]
Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: Best Friends, F/M, Friendship, Identity Reveal, One-Sided Attraction, Secret Identity, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-12
Updated: 2011-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-11 22:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17455757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acuteneurosis/pseuds/acuteneurosis
Summary: Sequel to "All She Wants to Give Him." Valentine's day is just around the corner and Lory has plans. Kanae is still adjusting to sharing her best friend, and Kyoko is trying to figure out who's getting chocolate this year.





	1. Plans

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter one of the 2011 Valentine's Day special.

Lory sat back to admire his handiwork. It was technically the efforts of people obeying his instructions that had created these masterpieces, but it had been his idea and he loved seeing his thoughts become reality. This had been a brilliant plan of his, and he was looking forward to how everyone would deal with it.

Especially Ren.

* * *

The day after Ren's birthday, Kyoko was in the LoveMe room, working diligently on a small list. It was her lunch break, and she was using the time to try and figure out who she would be giving obligation chocolate to this year. She did not have the means to give chocolate to too many people this time, and she was working very hard on keeping the list short.

Moko-san was on there, along with Maria-chan, Amamiya-san, the Taisho and his wife, and Tsuruga-san, although he would not actually be getting chocolate. If she was giving Tsuruga-san something, she would have to get Yashiro-san something as well. She should give something to Sawara-san, since she owed him a great debt again this year. And she felt as though she should try and get something for the president and for Jelly-san, since both of them had played such a large part in her life this past year. And she had never felt like she had properly thanked the president for the beautiful Christmas gift he had given her.

She paused for a minute before adding the Ishibashi boys. She knew if she tried to include everyone from all of her jobs, she would have too many people. But the Ishibashis needed to be on the list. They had really been a big help to her, especially this past week.

She was tapping her pen on her mouth when there was a knock on the door and Ren stepped in, followed by Yashiro.

"Good afternoon, Mogami-san."

"Ah, Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san, good afternoon. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to stop by and thank you for the gift that you gave me. I really appreciate it."

"You liked it?"

"Very much. It was… incredible. I'm shocked that you found time to finish it for yesterday."

"Oh, that's a relief. I was worried that it was a little silly."

Ren smiled.  "It wasn't silly at all. I really enjoyed it."

He had enjoyed it a great deal. The only complaint that he had was that she had glued all the figures in place. Logically, this made sense, since the perfect models would have had a hard time standing on their own. But he had discovered this feature when he had woken up this morning and tried to move the miniature Kyoko from her place next to the president to the spot that the mini Momose-san occupied. He was disappointed that he could not make the change, but figured Kyoko would probably have a fit if she ever saw it again and he had moved anything. It was probably for the best.

"I'm glad," Kyoko smiled.

"Would you believe it?" Yashiro interposed. "He won't even show me a picture."

"Oh, did you not see it?" Kyoko asked in surprise.

"He opened it at home. All he'll tell me is that you made him a model of the _Dark Moon_ set from the day of the president's test of Katsuki."

"Oh. Well, that's really all that it is," she admitted, blushing slightly with embarrassment. Yashiro sighed.

"Oh well, I'm sure it's amazing. After all, the doll you made for Maria's birthday last year was incredible. You're really good about perfecting your projects," he complimented with a kind smile, causing Kyoko to blush even more. Then his grin turned mischievous. "Well, except for Ren's eating habits."

Kyoko's eyes snapped over to the guilty party.

"I thought you were doing better," she growled at her victim. "You said you were using your Christmas present. Yashiro-san suffers too when you don't eat!" she scolded, jabbing her finger at him in a threatening manner.

"I'm not-"

"Don't listen to him, Kyoko-chan," Yashiro interrupted. "He'll tell you all kinds of lies about doing better, but once he gets busy, he forgets about his food again. He's been eating junk food all week, and he even said that he skipped dinner last night. Skipped dinner. On his birthday!"

"Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko groaned, shaking her head. "You can't skip meals!" Then she looked guilty. "You… didn't have anything nice? On your birthday?"

Ren sighed and glared at his manager. The other man just smiled.

"Kyoko-chan, while you finish scolding Ren, I'm going to go run an errand. Take care of him?"

Kyoko nodded, but without any real enthusiasm. Yashiro escaped, leaving his charge with a suddenly depressed LoveMe member.

"Mogami-san-"

"I'm sorry!" she wailed, throwing herself to the ground so quickly Ren could not stop her. "If I hadn't made plans with Moko-san I could have made dinner for you! You were all alone and you didn't have anything good to eat!"

"Mogami-san-"

"I didn't even remember Moko-san and then I promised to cook for you and then I couldn't!"

"Mogami-san-" he tried again, kneeling down and pulling on her arm, to no avail.

"And then I couldn't get you a good birthday present because I'm stupid and I don't have any skills or any money-"

"Kyoko!"

She looked up then, surprised by the anger on his face. He pulled her to her feet and tried to relax.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have used your name like that," he stated as he brushed a stray tear off of her face. Kyoko shook her head and mumbled something along the lines of a dismissal, but she was not really paying attention. There was tiny feeling of warmth in her chest and on her cheek where he had touched her.

"It- it's fine," she finally got out, her face turning pink again. Why was she blushing so much today?

"In any event, it isn't your fault that I didn't eat dinner last night," Ren told her, looking her in the eye to enforce the point.

"But-" Ren's finger on her mouth stopped her.

"Mogami-san, are you listening to me?" Kyoko nodded since the finger had not been removed. "It is _not_ your fault that I did not eat dinner last night. It's mine. Do you understand?" He removed his finger when she nodded again. "Good girl."

Kanae had by this point, arrived at LME and was making her way to the LoveMe room to get dressed into her cursed uniform. She paused outside when she heard voices in the room.

"Did you enjoy yourself at Kotonami-san's last night?"

"Oh, yes! We had all kinds of fun. We talked about all sorts of things and she ate all the food that I made!"

Kanae heard Ren chuckle.

"Sounds like you had a good evening." There was a slight pause. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just- I made dinner for Moko-san, but you didn't have anything."

"I thought that we already established that this was my fault."

"Well, yes," she grumbled, clearly not pleased with his bad habits. "But it was your birthday, and you didn't do anything special. It's just… sad."

Kanae wanted to groan at her friend's idiocy. She could picture that sad, wistful face right now, and it was probably driving Kyoko's companion insane.

There was another silence, this one a bit heavier than the last.

"Mogami-san, you don't have to feel so bad about it. It was my choice to not share my birthday with anyone."

"That's probably true." Kanae wondered at what exactly her friend could be thinking of if she was using _that_ tone of voice. Kanae was not used to thinking of Kyoko as a jealous woman, but the particular tone she had used just then... Kanae would have given anything to see Tsuruga Ren's face.

She would have been disappointed. Ren had heard a similar tone before when he was being scolded for being a playboy. It was not a topic that Kyoko thought on much, but when it did show up, it amused Ren to see her so irritated at him.

"In any event, you can stop worrying about it," he told her in his strictest tones, confusing Kanae out in the hall.

"I should," she sighed, and Kanae heard him chuckle again.

"You know, you can always come over and cook for me some other time. I won't mind."

"Oh, you don't mind having your birthday dinner late!" Kyoko's voice brimmed with excitement and Kanae heard Ren laugh.

"Sure, we can do a late birthday dinner. But not tonight. I have too much work."

"Oh well in that case-"

But Kanae did not hear the rest. She might have to share Kyoko with this man, but she was not letting him endanger her best friend. She started forward with the intention of interrupting, but was grabbed from behind and flung ungracefully into a nearby room. The door was shut with a decisive click and Kanae faced her kidnapper with a growl.

"What are you doing?" she demanded of the man next to the door. The president met her glare with a frown and stepped away from the door to sit down in a chair.

"Have a seat, Kotonami-san."

"I don't want to."

"Sit. Now."

She had never heard him use that tone before and chose to obey, but her glare did not lessen. She took in his costume, some sort of secret agent getup, and flopped into a seat, decidedly angry.

"What?"

"Someday," he commented dryly, "Mogami-san is going to have so much influence over you, she'll actually be able to teach you some manners. Until then, I'll just remind you that I am the only reason you got hired here." Kanae grimaced.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about, _sir_."

"Stop getting in the way," he told her flatly. Kanae froze in shock.

"I… beg your pardon?"

"Mogami-san is your friend, and it's hard sharing her with so many people that care about her at least as much as you do. It probably isn't fair how little time you get with her, but you need to stop getting in her way."

"You mean in _his_ way," Kanae snapped. "You couldn't care less what happens to her as long as you get to play in your own little world where everyone 'loves' each other. As long as he gets to 'love' her, nothing else matters, right? Since everyone knows he's your favorite!"

The expression Lory showed her was beyond frightening. Kanae suddenly felt guilty and a little sick.

"I hope," the president said slowly and in a frozen voice, "that you really don't mean that. In fact, I'm going to pretend that you didn't even say it. I think we are both better off that way."

"Yes sir," she responded in a quiet voice.

"But, to address your concern, this isn't just about Ren. Or just about Mogami-san. Or just you, or just anyone. I've let things go this far because real life has plenty of interruptions. But I said this before and I'll say it again. You're ruining each other. As LoveMe members, being friends is a good thing. Trusting each other is good. But the three of you share a hatred for risking your heart on anyone."

"That isn't-"

"You can't escape the fact that Mogami-san is your friend and that you care about what happens to her," Lory stated. "In fact, you're still adjusting to this. Sharing with Amamiya-san isn't too hard, because the two of you think the same way and since you're all LoveMe members it isn't hard to share. But you need to learn to share her with other people."

"I don't have a problem with your granddaughter," Kanae pointed out. "And I didn't have problems when she made plans with the other Box R girls, or when she went out with the other girls that she worked with.

Lory smiled.

"And boys?" Kanae stiffened.

"She only associates with them at work. She doesn't have any guy friends."

"Except Ren," he suggested.

"He's her senpai," Kanae retorted.

"And the Ishibashi boys in Bridge Rock?"

"The who?"

"The chicken suit job you gave to her back at the beginning of your careers. The boys she works with there."

"She isn't friends with them. She never talks about them."

"Which is why she went out to dinner with them a few nights ago."

"She what?"

Lory sighed.  "You and I both know that Kyoko has a very strict scale of familiarity. Unless she is given very express permission, she keeps most people at a proverbial arms' length. She might call them senpais, but you and I wouldn't, and neither would anyone else. The same issue applies to Ren, and you know it."

"But he's interested in her," Kanae stated. "It's different."

Lory smiled.

"Ishibashi Hikaru has a crush on Mogami-san," he told her.

Kanae stared at him in disbelief.  "He does not-" Lory's grin grew. "How do you know these things?" she groaned.

"I make my business knowing these things."

"I think you mean 'I make it my business to know these things.'"

"Not really."

Kanae sighed.

"It isn't safe," she told him. "Spending time with him might seem nice and cute and fluffy, but it isn't safe for her."

"You're wrong."

"He might hurt her!" Kanae insisted. "Even if you don't think he would, he could! She's young, and stupid, and she doesn't think she's in danger! You put them together in any circumstances for long enough and she'll get hurt!"

Lory regarded her for a moment.

"How long is too long?"

"How should I know?" she retorted.

"You really _don't_ know. No, don't make that face at me. You have no idea how much control Ren has over himself, or how he really feels about Mogami-san."

"And you do?"

"I don't know where the limit of his control is," Lory admitted. "because I've never seen him reach it. But I have an incredibly good idea of where it isn't, and it's further than you would think."

"I'm almost afraid to ask you how you know that," Kanae stated, suspicious.

"Well, I won't tell you how I know, but that isn't important."

"I don't think so," she retorted.

"Well, setting aside its importance, you do need to let go, Kotonami-san. Mogami-san needs to be able to make her own choices without worrying about losing her best friend."

"You're not going to let me out of here until I promise, are you?"

"Oh no, I'll let you out. You have work that you need to do. And I can't force you into being a good friend. You'll have to learn how to do that yourself."

"So if I don't encourage her to let him stalk her, I'm not a good friend?"

Lory sighed in frustration.  "Kotonami-san, why do you admire Mogami-san?"

"Because she's a scary good actress."

"But why are you friends with her?"

"Because I didn't run fast enough," she grumbled.

"Oh never mind," came the irate response of the president. "You're not thinking about this."

"What are you looking for?" Kanae snapped. "Some mystical, magical power that I think she has? It isn't like that! She just showed up, and she wouldn't go away! She kept pushing, over and over and over! She never gave up! Not after the auditions, not at your stupid little acting test, and not at the Kyurara commercial! Even when she didn't have a prayer of winning she didn't give up!" Kanae sagged suddenly, hanging her head. "And she didn't let me give up either."

"So I've been told," the president replied. "So… why are you letting her give up?"

Kanae looked up, confused.

"She isn't giving up."

"Isn't she?"

"No. She hasn't given up on anything. She's still working hard, still trying to become a great actress."

"So she's not missing anything? She's completely normal?"

Kanae paused.

"Oh." Lory stood and walked over to his second LoveMe member and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You're a good friend, Kotonami-san."

He left her to think about what he had told her. He had said what he wanted to, prevented her from interrupting Ren and Kyoko, and now he had business to attend to. Oh, he could not wait for Valentine's Day…

* * *

Back in the LoveMe room, Ren and Kyoko were both sighing over their schedules.

"It really does have to be _that_ day, doesn't it," Kyoko grumbled.

"Well, the president has been playing with everyone's schedules, making sure that the evening of Valentine's Day is free."

"Is he planning another party then?"

"Unlikely. I have no idea what insanity will happen during the day, but he won't keep anyone away from their loved one on the annual celebration of true love. It would be against his very nature."

Kyoko giggled.  "That's true. Then I'll make you dinner for your birthday on Valentine's Day?"

"That would be great."

"Having fun?" Yashiro asked as he stepped back into the room.

"Oh, we were just talking," Kyoko told him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be keeping you two. I'm sure you have work."

"We should be going," Ren conceded.

"Alright. We'll see you around, Kyoko-chan."

"Goodbye Yashiro-san. Ah, Tsuruga-san."

"Hmm?"

"Did you skip lunch to come down here and talk to me?" Her aura was suddenly threatening.

"We have time to grab something before I have to be on set for my next job."

"What something?"

"Your book is in the bag. Yashiro gets to pick."

"Fine. Yashiro-san, don't let him change his mind."

"I'll do my best Kyoko-chan."

"Goodbye, Mogami-san."

"Goodbye, Tsuruga-san."

"Oh, and Mogami-san."

"Yes?"

"Thank you again for the present."

Yashiro smirked at his charge as they made their way to the car. Sometimes Ren just could not control that tender smile of his. Yashiro would have been giddy if he could have known the heartwarming effect it had had on Kyoko.


	2. Execution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day

It was Valentine's Day.

Kyoko approached the LME building with trepidation. Even she had not missed the wicked gleam that had shone in the president's eyes the day before. He was clearly ecstatic about the event and the particularly mischievous grin he had given her had made her want to hide under a rock.

She slipped into the building and crept down to the LoveMe room where she found Kanae and Chiori in the locker room, whispering intently as Kyoko shut the door.

"Is something wrong?" she asked the two girls.

"Not yet," Chiori replied. "But we're wondering if we should just hide out back in here today."

"That crazy man is up to something," Kanae added. "I have no desire to be a part of it."

"Well, I don't think he'll let us hide back in here if he really does have plans," Kyoko pointed out.

"How can he come and get us?" Kanae asked. "Send his wicked witch?"

"Well, Jelly-san isn't really wicked…" Kyoko got out before there was a quick knock on the door and the woman in question popped her head in.

"Ah, good you're all here. Darling's been waiting," she sang as she stepped in and grabbed Kyoko's arm, dragging the girl out the door. Kanae and Chiori immediately followed, determined to rescue their friend from the clutches of this mysterious female.

But Jelly was moving at a good pace and Kyoko was not putting up any resistance. Rather, she was chatting with her abductor, asking if the woman had enjoyed her most recent trip to Hawaii and how many men had fallen madly in love with her.

Jelly giggled as she answered the younger girl's question and watched out of the corner of her eye to make sure the other two LoveMe members were following her. Lory had told her if she just grabbed Kyoko, the other two should follow, but she had to make sure that all three made it upstairs.

The group passed by Ren and Yashiro as the two stood chatting with another actor from Ren's latest project. Jelly caught Ren's eye and winked at him conspiratorially, earning a troubled look from the actor. Kyoko's grudge antenna caught the waves of darkness and she shuddered as she caught her senpai's eye.

What had she done this time?

"Ren?" his costar asked, noticing his worried look.

"Oh, my apologies. One of the presidents more devoted workers just passed by. I think she was passing on a message." The other man chuckled.

"That's right. It's his favorite day of the year, isn't it? Think you're going to get roped into something crazy?" Ren smiled.

"Aren't we already involved?" Yashiro sighed and the other actor grimaced.

"The director isn't happy, is he?"

"He isn't the only one," Ren replied. His coworker cocked his head in confusion, and Yashiro had to hide a grin.

* * *

The three LoveMe girls were taken up to the president's office and led back beyond his normal business room to a comfortable lounge. There was a door on the far wall and three make-up stations around the room, but these were ignored as the girl's eyes fell on three costumes residing flamboyantly on mannequins.

"Oh my…" Kyoko breathed as she took in the three outfits. "What on earth-"

"Aren't they lovely!" Jelly sighed as she gestured to the ensembles.

The three costumes loomed in front of the group. The one on the far right was a pure white floor length tunic, based on ancient Assyrian styles, but none of the girls but Jelly knew that. A white shawl was wrapped around the right shoulder and on the left side fell into a graceful drape down in the back until about the knee. The shawl was fringed in silver which matched the silver necklaces and bracelets that decorated the mannequin. On the floor were sandals made with silver twine laces that would reach halfway up the calf.

The far left costume was a tunic in the Egyptian style, white again and floor length, but with no shawl. Instead, there was a gold and onyx collard necklace, a collection of bracelets and armlets hung on both arms, and to accompany the black wig, there was a gold circlet and a couple of tall horns. The sandals were gold twine laced, again reaching halfway up the calf.

The costume in the middle was a Grecian style tunic, the clasps on the shoulders done in gold. There was a thin gold necklace, a couple of gold bracelets, and gold laced sandals reaching up to the knee, but not much else to adorn the costume. Only a golden blonde wig with waving hair that fell to the waist.

"Um, they're… interesting," Chiori replied belatedly to Jelly's raptures, looking at the outfits skeptically. "But, who are you?"

Kyoko and Jelly exchanged a guilty look.

"Sorry girls. I'm Jelly Woods. I work as a personal costume and make-up expert for Darling, the president. I've worked with Kyoko-chan before."

"On what?" Kanae demanded suspiciously. Before Jelly could answer the door to the president's office slammed open.

"You've arrived!" the president shouted with glee as he burst in to the room, dressed, to the girl's horror, in a LoveMe pink dress suit. Kyoko was in shock, Kanae was trying to decide if she could gouge her eyes out, and Chiori was wondering why she had volunteered to work for this man.

"President, what-"

"Ah, but isn't it obvious Mogami-san? You are going to be dressed up specially today, my little messengers of love. I've worked hard to pick the perfect persona for each of you. Jelly, let's have them start with Ishtar," he said, gesturing to Kotonami-san. The girl turned between the two in confusion.

"Who-"

"No time," the president interrupted as two young women appeared on either side of Kanae and dragged her towards the door on the far side of the room. A third one grabbed the costume on the far right and followed Kanae and her kidnappers.

The door shut with a slam, and Kyoko and Chiori exchanged worried looks.

"President, is Moko-san going to be alright?" Kyoko asked.

"She'll be fine," the president promised. "But we need to get started right away. It will take long enough to dress each of you as is, and you'll need a basic background of your characters before you take off."

"And what characters are they?" Chiori asked as she glanced fearfully at the costumes again.

"Goddesses of Love!" Lory sang out happily. His two remaining LoveMe members turned pale.

"But- Goddesses of _Love_?" Kyoko squeaked.

"Yes. We have Kotonami-san being dresses as Ishtar right now. I thought it was appropriate since Ishtar was said to have killed all her lovers.Amamiya-san will be next as Hathor, who was originally born as a goddess of destruction and was changed by her creator into a goddess of love."

"I'm noticing a pattern," Chiori mumbled under her breath.

"And Mogami-san, you will be the ever favored Aphrodite!"

Kyoko winced.

"I've heard that name," she told him, "but not the others. Do I have too? She was… not a good person, I think."

"I've yet to find an ancient deity that was perfect," Lory told her. "But Aphrodite is the best known goddess of love, and we can't be leaving her out. You'll just have to give her a better name."

"But… she was supposed to be a beautiful goddess," Kyoko pointed out. Instead of arguing with Kyoko that she was plenty beautiful and only needed a bit of confidence, Lory waved aside her concerns.

"You'll get Jelly working with you personally. She'll make sure you're ready for the role.Ah, Kotonami-san, how do you like it?"

Kanae stalked out, the perfect image of exalted fury.

"You have got to be kidding me," she growled. Lory only laughed.

"No, no, it really does suit you. Only, please remember that you're supposed to represent Ishtar as a cold love goddess for today. Not a firebrand."

"Who is-"

"I'll explain if you will sit and let them finish getting you ready. Chiori, you're next."

The girls were dressed and seated in much less time than they expected. Lory sighed sadly when Chiori came out and whined about missing the "eye of Ra," which Chiori collected would have been a great gold disk sitting between the horns that had been placed on her head. But, the president explained, it would have been too heavy for a human to hold up, and there was no point if the disk wasn't made of real gold through and through.

All three LoveMe girls rolled their eyes.

Kyoko was glad that Jelly was working magic on her once again. Kyoko had very little faith that she could carry off a goddess of love and beauty on her own. But Jelly-san's magic would make her just perfect, so everything would be alright.

Lory fussed over Kanae for a bit, arguing with the stylist as to what should be done with her hair since she was the only one not wearing a wig. Eventually it was decided that her hair would be half pulled back, and Lory magicked a silver headband to match the rest of her outfit out of thin air.

Before they were free to leave, Lory explained his plans for them.

"You will be traveling around the building today, delivering gifts from me to some of my workers. Some of them will be objects, but sometimes there will be notes attached. I have some special assignments for some of my employees. If there is a note, please don't leave until you've made sure that the person has followed through with their task. I have other messengers running around and making deliveries, so yours will be high profile assignments to special people in the company."

"What should we do if we finish early?" Kanae asked.

"Find one of my messengers and let them know. They'll give you more things to deliver."

"Um, what if we were planning on giving gifts?" Kyoko asked. Lory smiled.

"Check your list and see if you're making any deliveries to those people anyway. If you are, feel free to drop off your gift as well. If you have any you won't be able to deliver, head down with Jelly to the LoveMe room and she'll make sure they're taken care of."

Kyoko bowed and apologized, but the president pushed her back up, told her it was not a problem, and reminded her that she was a deity right now and she should not be bowing to mere mortals.

Kyoko smiled, her two friends grimaced, and the girls were dismissed.

When they reached the LoveMe room, Kyoko went to rustle through a bag for her chocolates for Jelly. After a cheerful reception of the gift, Jelly helped Kyoko sort her other chocolates and promised to deliver the ones that Kyoko would not be able to take care of herself. Kyoko thanked Jelly and the woman left.

Kyoko looked over her list one last time before heading out of the room. She knew several people on her list and was going to be able to deliver most of her chocolates herself. She decided to start with Sawara-san, since he would be closest, then move on to Ren since he would probably have to leave first.

Sawara-san accepted her gift and the president's with an understanding smile.

"Thank you, Mogami-san. He really doesn't do anything by halves, does he. You look very pretty, though."

"Thank you, Sawara-san. I hope you have a nice day."

"I imagine the president isn't done with his festivities, so I'm just hoping to get as much work done as possible."

"You're probably right. Good luck."

"Thank you, Mogami-san. Good luck with your work too."

Kyoko made her way through the building, hoping that Ren had not already left. Her list said he should have some meetings here at the office this morning, but it did not tell her when he would finish and she had no intention of walking around town dressed like this to find him. And she would not put it past the president to have her do so.

As she walked along, Kyoko noticed that a large number of the employees were staring at her. Her first reaction was to be embarrassed, but after her second hallway of stares, she remembered that she was supposed to be acting out the role of a goddess.

Her back straightened and she affected a distant look. She gazed straight ahead, and if a person did catch her eye, she smiled at them in a manner that was somehow kind and condescending.

Even staring straight ahead, she could not miss the various other messengers that moved around the halls. An assortment of young men and women, dressed in knee length Grecian tunics with wings and bows on their backs were dashing about with satchels brimming with boxes and letters.

There really was no end the president's antics.

* * *

Ren was sitting in Yashiro's office, trying to memorize a script as he cursed his insane boss. Somehow, Lory had gotten all of his top actors' schedules cleared for the majority of the day. It was frightening what that man could do when he wanted to. Ren had not been able to avoid a few meetings for his various projects, but he was now finished with his work and it was not even noon.

There was a knock on the door and Yashiro stood to open it, freezing when he saw who it was.

"Kyoko… chan?"

"Good afternoon, Yashiro-san. Is Tsuruga-san here?"

"Y-yes."

Ren looked up from his script when he heard Kyoko speak. It was not the words that were strange, put the tone she used. It was distant, almost… regal? And Yashiro had still not moved out of the doorway. Ren stood to intervene.

"Did you need something, Mogami-sa- Oh."

Someday, he was going to get the president back for all of these tricks.

It was not that this costume was worse than his first time seeing her as Setsuka. He would have to say that it was more modest. But her entire aura was… alluring.

Under Ren's gaze, Kyoko's character slipped away and left only an embarrassed girl.

"Umm, the president sent me. Could I… come in?"

"Oh, yes." Ren pulled Yashiro out of the way and watched Kyoko as she stepped into the room. "I take it this is part of the president's plan for today."

"Yes. He's having all three LoveMe members dress up and deliver his Valentine gifts. I'm… supposed to be Aphrodite."

"Ah. That explains a lot."

"Does it really look that weird?" Kyoko asked, suddenly worried. Yashiro covered his mouth to stifle a laugh as Ren sighed.

"It doesn't look weird Mogami-san."

"But everyone's been staring at me, all the way up here!"

Ren smiled in a knowing way.  "I would imagine so," he told her looking her over again. Kyoko, for reasons she could not explain, felt her cheeks growing warm.

"Why?" she asked, wishing he would stop staring.

"Because you look beautiful," he told her as simply as he could, sending a warning glare to his manager to not make him look like more of an idiot.

"Oh." Ren looked up in surprise, expecting her to have contradicted him. Instead she was smiling. "It must be because Jelly-san did such a good job."

Ren and Yashiro both opened their mouths to contradict her, noticed the other, and stopped, smiling. Kyoko continued, not noticing the exchange.

"In any event, I have something that I am supposed to give you, Tsuruga-san. Ah, and Yashiro-san too," she added as she shifted through a large white satchel that had been hanging on her shoulder. "Here they are."

She handed two small boxes to Yashiro and a small box with a note to Ren.

"I get two?" Yashiro asked as he looked at the boxes and noticed one of them was from Kyoko.

"Since Tsuruga-san doesn't like sweet things, and since I was going to make him dinner tonight, I thought I would make something then."

"Thank you, Mogami-san. I'm looking forward to-" He stopped suddenly as he read the small note on top of his box. "Oh, _wonderful_."

"Tsuruga-san?"

"No, it's fine. I'm just surprised. Did the president tell you about this?" he asked, indicating the note.

"He said he had some special tasks for some of the people we had deliveries for, and we couldn't leave until we knew they had completed it."

"I see. Well, in any event, this is what he told me," he said, handing the note over to her.

_Attend the goddess._

Kyoko frowned.

"That… is extremely brief. What do you think he means?" she asked, handing him back the piece of paper.

"I think I'm your assistant for the rest of today. Unless you see any other goddess in the room."

"He could mean Moko-san or Amamiya-san," Kyoko pointed out.

"Except you were the one who delivered the message. And you can't leave my side until my task is complete."

"How careless," Kyoko sighed, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" Yashiro asked.

"Tsuruga-san shouldn't be following me around all day, especially not while I'm dressed up like this. He should be working. I'm surprised the president didn't think about that."

Both men decided not to tell her that the president probably had thought about it, and laughed the whole time.

"Well, the sooner you get done, the sooner we both finish," Ren pointed out. "Should we get going?"

Kyoko nodded and they exited, bidding Yashiro farewell. Once the door opened, Kyoko readopted her character, drawing attention from all sides. Ren kept close to her as they walked down the hall, monitoring the faces of all of the people looking at her, particularly the men.

They met both Kanae and Chiori as they went about their task. Kanae glared at Ren and then Kyoko, sending a clear message that she was going to want an explanation later. Chiori just smiled at her senpai and rolled her eyes as Ren noticed her horns.

Their first stop was a visit to the producer of Kimagure Rock. He met Kyoko with his usual glare, but enough of the president's other messengers had been through the building at this point that he was not surprised to see her. She kept her character well but was gracious. Just as she was about to leave, he suddenly smiled.

"You look nice, Kyoko-san." She froze in confusion just as his face slid back into a frown. "Don't be late for work next week."

Kyoko lost her character completely then, and mumbled a quick reply before rushing Ren out, practically shoving him. Unfortunately, he had not missed what had been said.

"Mogami-san, why did he-"

"Can I tell you later?" she begged. "Right now really isn't a good time, but if you really want to know... I will tell you."

Ren was concerned, but nodded and asked her where they were going next.

"To see Maria," she told him happily. "She isn't an employee, but I think the president wanted her to feel included. She should be somewhere on this floor. I think she's helping direct some of the messengers around here."

After asking a few people, they were quickly able to find the girl. Upon seeing her two favorite people, Maria ran over and jumped into Ren's arms, giving him a big hug and laughing in delight. When he put her down she curtsied to Kyoko.

"Grandfather said you were going to be someone special today," she told the older girl. "You look amazing!"

"Thank you, Maria. And we have something for you," Kyoko said, fishing around and handing the girl a box of homemade chocolate and a package wrapped in pale pink paper. Maria opened the second gift to reveal a silver heart pendant on a thin chain and giggled in delight.

"Oh, Grandfather."

Ren helped her put it on and Maria gave them both a hug before they left.

"You made chocolates for everyone again?" Ren asked as they walked along.

"Not as many this year," Kyoko admitted. "Last year I had more time and money after Christmas. This year I couldn't reach as many people." She paused for a minute, frowning.

"Mogami-san?"

"I was just thinking. Last year, I ended up making chocolates for everyone because that stupid Beagle showed up and demanded chocolates and I wasn't going to make some just for him. I chose to give out chocolate this year, but he said he was going to show up again and demand more chocolate. I wonder what happened."

Ren could have told her, but decided not to. He had run into Kyoko's persistent stalker quite on accident a little over a week ago, probably while the creep was waiting for Kyoko, just outside of LME. There had been a brief exchange of words and the monster had left in a full sprint, with a shouted promise that he would not be back.

Yashiro, who had witnessed the event, said it was entertaining to see a visual kei running at all, and that Ren had really been changed by his role as BJ.

"I think he might have reconsidered the dangers of stalking a rising actress," Ren told Kyoko quietly, so as not to attract extra attention.

"I doubt it," Kyoko sighed. "It's not like anyone really pays attention to me."

Since there were very few people in the hall not looking at her with frank admiration at that moment, Ren had to suppress a laugh. Looking down on his companion, he grinned.

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Mogami-san."

Kyoko looked up to contradict him, but noticed he was staring at her again. She managed not to blush, but had to look back away without saying anything. He really should not stare at girls in that way. It was almost as bad as his puppy face.

There were a couple of other people on her list that were on the same floor. They were in charge of top ranked variety shows and other such things. Finally, they moved on to the music section and Kyoko's anxiety began to grow.

"Who do we have next?" Ren asked as they navigated the floor.

"We have to make a delivery to Bridge Rock," she told him, a slight tremor in her voice. He noted it, but did not say anything. He imagined he would understand soon enough.

When they arrived at the room where the boys were spending the day, Bridge Rock was just finishing their lunch and all of them smiled when they saw Kyoko enter.

"Kyoko-chan! What are you doing here?" Yuusei asked as she moved to let Ren in as well.

"You look amazing," Shinichi stated, nudging Hikaru. The oldest boy shoved back and looked up at Ren.

"Hello Tsuruga-san. Kyoko-chan."

"I'm afraid we haven't actually been introduced," Ren said as he smiled mildly. He was not pleased the familiarity this group seemed to have with Kyoko, but it was not a good time to question her.

"Ishibashi Hikaru. That's Ishibashi Yuusei and Ishibashi Shinichi," he said, pointing to each respectively. "We're Bridge Rock. And we're not actually related."

"Thank goodness," Yuusei added, glancing at Shinichi, who simply smiled.

"It's nice to meet you," Ren said, holding out his hand. Hikaru shook it, and suddenly it seemed as though there was a tension in the room. Kyoko looked between the two men, and though she could only see smiles, her grudge detector was going haywire. Not quite to the level that BJ had once produced, but frighteningly close.

"Umm, Hikaru-san, I'm supposed to make a delivery," Kyoko said a small voice. He stepped back from Ren and smiled at her.

"Of course."

Each of the boys was handed a package from Kyoko and from the president. Hikaru's gift from Lory had a note on top of it. Kyoko explained what it meant and Hikaru suddenly turned very red. Yuusei and Shinichi looked over his shoulder to read the note and both of them snorted with laughter.

"Is something wrong," Kyoko asked. Ren's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Umm, Kyoko-chan?" Hikaru started.

"Yes."

"Could you… hold still for a moment?" Ren's eyes narrowed further. Seriously, he was going to kill the president.

"Umm, sure," she replied, clasping her hands in front of her and straightening. Hikaru stepped up, hesitated, then placed a quick peck on her cheek. When he pulled away both he had Kyoko were bright red and Ren was a little pale.

Hikaru showed Kyoko the noted and she nodded silently.

"That… should fulfill that task," she whispered. "If… if you'll all excuse us."

She practically fled out the door followed closely by Ren, and Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on," Shinichi teased. "That wasn't a kiss. The note said to kiss the goddess."

"Enough," Yuusei told him with a thwack across the back of his head.

"Honestly," Hikaru told them, a bit unsteady, "I was more worried about Tsuruga-san killing me."

His friends blinked.

"Why?" Yuusei asked. Hikaru gave them both a confused look.

"Didn't you notice?"

"Notice what?" Shinichi demanded.

"Was that him too?" Yuusei asked. "I thought it was all you."

"No," Hikaru replied. "It definitely was not me."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

* * *

Across town, at a different agency, Aki Shoko sighed as she watched her charge jab a pen at a piece of paper in front of him. The frown on his face told her how angry he was just then, though anyone who saw him assumed that he was just concentrating on his work. But Shoko knew better. When he worked on music, really worked on a song, it just came to him. This was just pretending.

"Sho-"

"I already said I don't care what we have for lunch!" he snapped without looking up.

"I know. I think... Sho, you need to go and see Kyoko-chan."

He lifted his head.

"No." It was absolute, but without heat. He was like this now, when it came to her. So cold where he had once been so sure and passionate.

"Sho, it's been almost a year since you even tried to talk to her. You have no idea how she's going to reac-"

"It isn't my problem," he told her, his head bent back over the page.

"Sho-"

"No."

"Please, just-"

"Shoko, I need you to let me work."

She did stop then, because his pen was now flying across the paper. His eyes had grown distant, seeing something Shoko would never be able to picture. He had tried to explain to her once that music was like colors sometimes, and he could see it changing hues as he wrote his songs. She had to take his word for it. He did not tell her enough for her to know what he really meant.

The past year had been a trial for Shoko. Just before White Day Sho had realized that Reino would probably try and meet Kyoko and give her a return gift. He had spent the week before the holiday searching for her, finding her strangely absent. He had finally caught her on the thirteenth at TBM. He had been respectful enough that she actually agreed to hear him out as long as he kept his manager with them, but when he had told her his concerns she had brushed him off.

"You don't need to worry about me, Shotaro."

"Of course I do! You couldn't protect yourself when you first met him, and he even came back after he had been chased off."

"Even if I can't take care of him myself, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be perfectly fine."

"Really?" he had scoffed. Her demeanor had turned cool.

"Yes." Then she had smiled, not at him, but at something distant. "I'll be fine tomorrow. Tsuruga-san will take care of me."

Shoko had watched her charge worriedly for an outburst. But Sho was too shocked. When he had recovered, he only had a tenuous control over his temper.

"You can't rely on that. He won't be with you all the time."

Her smiled had turned mysterious for a moment, but then she had shaken her head.

"You can't be there either. So thank you for the warning, but I'll be just fine."

"Does he even know how much danger you're in?" Sho had snapped. "He wasn't there when that freak was following you. He was no idea what lengths he'll go to-"

"He knows better than you do," Kyoko had stated coolly. "When you tried to chase Beagle off the first time, he came back just before filming finished. The reason he stayed away after that was because Tsuruga-san chased him off." Her smile had turned conniving, and a bit piteous. "Beagle's so scared of Tsuruga-san, he won't even go near him. All I have to do is say Tsuruga-san's name, and that demon goes running."

"Y-you have got to be kidding me!" Sho had stuttered.

"No, it's true."

"How could he possibly frighten that creep?"

"Because Tsuruga-san is the Demon Lord," Kyoko had said practically, causing Sho to blink. She had thought for a moment, then added, "And he really is strong."

The rest of the conversation had not mattered. Sho was so adrift at sea that he had forgotten to be angry. Shoko had had to drag him away.

Sho had blown hot and cold in his temper from mid-May to about July. Then, he had burnt out. He had not just lose his place in the top of the charts. He had dropped off them completely. He produced no music, and only managed to not get fired after a long, closed door interview with the head of Akatoki Agency. Shoko did not know all that passed between them, but Sho told her he needed to produce a full album of completely new music in a month.

She had nearly died of shock.

Three weeks had gone by after that, and only Shoko knew how little was getting done. Sho spent all of his time locked up, his guitar and sheet music with him, and nothing else. Shoko brought him food, but he had not even asked for alcohol, and he would not tell her how everything was going. Shoko had given up on him then and there.

But the last week he had come to her with sheet music for all of the songs completely finished. The album had been a huge success, merging so many styles of music that Sho had secured his place in the music industry for years to come.

"You did a great job," Shoko had told him when they watched the reports on the album. He had simply shrugged.

"It's not like _she'll_ listen to it."

He continued to churn out incredible music. It was tender, nostalgic, bitter, angry, and regretful by turns. But none of the many compliments he received seemed to reach him.

"She's not listening to it," he had told Shoko when she asked why he was not excited. "She can't hear it yet. It's not ready."

Shoko watched him working now, hoping that whatever he was waiting for would come soon. A year was a long time. Probably the longest that he had gone without seeing Kyoko, except for on television. He had taken a keen interest in several of her projects, and Shoko was fairly certain a few of his songs had been inspired by some of her characters. But that did not bring Kyoko back to him. And it did not take her away from Tsuruga Ren.

_Hurry Sho. You're really going to lose her._

* * *

Back at LME, Ren and Kyoko were able to finish the rest of their work without mishap. Except for running into the president briefly.

Ren could not decide if it was the hideous costume that was assaulting his eyes, or the knowing and victorious grin that was etched onto Lory's face. Either way, it resulted in an immediate and violent display of Ren's gentlemanly smile, which caused Kyoko to lose character, step away from him, and start begging to know what she had done wrong. Because he had to placate her, he missed Lory's look of amusement and pity. By the time he looked up, the president had left.

Kyoko reported back to the president at the end of the day and immediately changed out of her costume, much to Ren's relief. He spent all of his time waiting for her to finish glaring at Lory who merely continued smiling in return.

"I'm done," Kyoko announced as she came back out. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Tsuruga-san."

Kanae, who had also been waiting for her friend to finish, looked up at this and frowned.

"Why is he waiting for you?" she demanded. "I thought he was waiting to speak with the president."

"Oh, I'm going home with Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said simply. Kanae continued to frown, but did not say anything. "Moko-san?"

"Hmm. Oh nothing. Just be careful and stuff. Did you give Chiori her chocolate?"

"Oh, yes. Just before she left. And here's yours," Kyoko said, handing over the box with a smile. Kanae grinned and took the box carefully.

"I guess I can eat these," she said, tucking them in to her own bag. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yes!"

"Alright. Good night."

"Good night, Moko-san."

Ren and Kyoko took their leave of the president and headed for a grocery store near Ren's apartment. Kyoko refused to shop at the super expensive mart at his building. It was theft, she told him. There was no other word for it.

They got everything that Kyoko needed to make dinner and for once Kyoko did not comment when Ren paid. She was too busy worrying about when he would be asking her about everything that had happened that day.

They made it all the way back to his apartment before her mood caught him and he remembered what had happened earlier. If the confusing things said by that producer had not been frustrating enough, Ren had watched another holiday go by where Kyoko and kisses had been involved and he had not.

Well, Christmas had not ended too badly, but still…

He let her cook dinner without being distracted. He had wanted this to be a nice night, and he was willing to try and ignore his nagging feelings for that. He even did his best to relax her, and they made it through most of the meal without too much trouble.

Until he mentioned the chicken.

"Really," he told her, "I have no idea how you can pick out the best meat. All chicken looks the same to me."

Kyoko giggled for a moment, and then quieted suddenly.

"Tsuruga-san…"

"Yes?"

"About what happened earlier today, with the producer from Yappa Kimagure Rock-"

"You don't have to tell me," Ren interrupted. He had realized suddenly that he did not want to know. Not if she did not want to tell him. He would rather they just passed the night comfortably. He could wait. He was keeping secrets from her. He had no right to demand this. And he wanted her to keep smiling.

He was relieved when she did smile softly. But she shook her head.

"I should have told you about this a long time ago. You really should know."

"Mogami-san-"

"Please," she begged. "I really want to tell you!"

"Alright. What do you want to tell me?"

Kyoko hesitated, fidgeting slightly.

"Well, do you know what Kimagure Rock is?" Ren shook his head.

"Not really. I don't watch variety shows."

"Well, it's been running for most of the time that I've been working here. Its first episode aired not long after I joined the LoveMe section and they needed some extra people for the live audience. Then some stuff happened and they needed someone to step in for what was supposed to be a small part on the show. Moko-san said that as LoveMe members, we'd do whatever we had to, so I ended up doing that. The part ended up being so liked that I was asked back as a regular on the show."

"You have a regular job there?"

"Every week, for the most part. You remember when we were playing Cain and Setsuka?"

"Yes. You did have a pretty regular job, didn't you?"

"Yes. It was Kimagure Rock. And Bridge Rock hosts the show, so I know them fairly well. Which is why I gave them chocolates too."

"That makes sense. But it doesn't really explain why you were hiding the job from me," Ren pointed out. Kyoko looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

"On the show, there's an animal character named Bo. He's in charge of the guests and such. That's the part I play regularly."

"You were… embarrassed to be playing an animal character? So you didn't say anything?"

Another pause as she tried to shrink in on herself.

"Bo is a chicken." She looked up to see Ren's confused face. "We film at TBM Studios."

He understood her then. She could see it.

"You've played the chicken. From the first episode."

She nodded sadly and realized she had to tell him the full truth before she became too afraid.

"Sho was the main guest that night. I wasn't supposed to do anything besides open and close the show, but I was horribly unprofessional and made a mess, and got in trouble and then they fired me. But they asked me back because people liked Bo and the producer hates me because he still wants me to be fired, and I didn't say anything because we really didn't get along then, and by the time that we did you were having trouble with Katsuki and I knew there wasn't anything that I could do but you had talked to Bo before and I thought… I thought…"

She bit her lip to try and hold back her tears, but the guilty feelings that she had been carrying were too much. First one drop, then another and another fell down her cheek. She dashed them away furiously and tried to compose herself.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, surprised to see that Ren had moved to kneel next to her. He brushed away a stray tear and smiled at her gently.

"It's alright, Kyoko-chan. I'm not angry with you." It took her a moment to register the fact that he had called her by her given name, but when she had, he had already started talking again. "Actually, there is something that I should tell you too. Something I didn't tell you because when I realized it the first time, we didn't really get along, and the next time it came up, I thought you wouldn't want me to say anything about it."

It was Kyoko's turn to be confused.

"Tsuruga-san, what are you-"

"Just listen for a minute." He paused, thinking carefully about what exactly he should say. She had told him something important, and he was not going to be able to convince her that he was not angry just by saying so. He had to reciprocate the favor. He did not want to tell her the whole truth, but if he was going to tell her anything…

"Kyoko-chan, do you remember back when you were having problems with that stalker, and he mentioned that I went by a stage name."

Kyoko nodded.

"I remember. Tsuruga-san, why are you calling me-"

"Just listen. My real name is Kuon Hizuri." Kyoko froze. "About seven years ago I left my home in the States and came out here to Japan to become an actor without using my family's name. I left my parents, adopted the name Tsuruga Ren, and worked hard to establish myself as a person who had lived here my entire life." He smiled ruefully. "That why I needed your help the first time you met me as Bo. You were right about me not having grown up here. And it's why I'm so direct." Kyoko gave him a small smile. "I told myself that until I reached my father's level, I couldn't go home and I couldn't contact them. If anyone found out that I was Kuon Hizuri, it would all be over."

He stopped then, remembering the feelings he had had at that time. Remembering leaving without looking back. Remembering the guilt from the accident. Remembering the other guilt of having left without having said goodbye to his mother. Remembering the crushing feeling of all the things that he could not do.

"But, when did we talk about your past?" Kyoko asked as he was getting lost in thought. "You said you didn't say anything about this when we first met, or later, but you haven't said anything about it ever. Not even when Otou-san came out here."

"That was more of an introduction," he admitted. "No, wait. Let me finish," he told her as she opened her mouth again. "My father took me to Japan when I was younger. He had plenty of work here and he was proud of his Japanese heritage, and he wanted me to be proud of it too. So I would come with him. But he would be busy most of the time, and I would get bored. So I would go and explore around the area that we were visiting. One time, we were in Kyoto. I was about ten, maybe eleven, and my dad was busy with his work. So I went off to explore the woods around where we were staying."

He paused to make sure she was listening. She seemed to see where this was going. Her face was full of disbelief.

"I found a clearing with a stream running through it. I decided to play there for a while and while I was there… I met a little girl." Kyoko's eyes grew wide. "She thought I was a fairy prince. It wasn't for very long, but we spent time together while my father was working. We found the scrambled egg rock kingdom, she told me all about her mother and the ryokan that she stayed at, and her prince who lived there, and one day… I even showed her that I could fly. When I told her I had to leave, it made her so sad, I gave her my most precious treasure so that she could keep smiling, even if she was all alone."

It was silent. She was staring at him hard, trying to reconcile the image that she had in her head of a mystical being with this very real man sitting next to her. If he really was Kuon, then he would have blonde hair, and if that were true...

And suddenly, she could see it. There he was, right next to her. All this time.

"C-Corn?" Her hand reached out to touch his face.

"Right here, Kyoko-chan." Now it made sense. She had told him to call her that back then. She shook her head suddenly and Ren tensed.

"It was never Corn," she said, smiling guiltily. "It was always Kuon, wasn't it?" He smiled back.

"I didn't mind. It was cute." He tousled her hair once, and then his face grew serious again. "I didn't tell you when I first realized because I knew it when you dropped the stone I gave you down the stairs. Do you remember?"

"Yes." Then she froze in horror. "I gave you the middle finger…"

Ren laughed.  "I figured it was a bad time to tell you I was the person who gave you the stone. Then, on the _Dark Moon_ set, when you were trying to help me, I thought it would be best to keep it a secret still." He smirked. "It was fun to hear you talk about it."

Kyoko blushed.

"You laughed at me," she grumbled. Then she cocked her head to the side. "Corn was your treasure?"

Ren nodded.

"I used him for the same things I wanted you to use him for. My parents cared about me a lot, but sometimes they were busy. And being the child of the rich and famous isn't always easy." He smiled ruefully.

"But… is that why you left home? Were you…" she paused, trying to find the words. "You still couldn't fly?"

Ren shook his head.

"You've met my father," he told her. "You can imagine some of the things that I had to put up with as a child." Kyoko shuddered. The huge appetite, the persistent adoration, the long winded speeches…

"Otou-san is very affectionate," she admitted, smiling a little.

"It caused problems," Ren told her, his face growing distant. Kyoko watched him, concerned. She felt like she had seen this face too often. It reminded her a little of the trouble he had had while trying to make Katsuki, but more than that, it felt like the face he had made much later, the first night as Cain, and the next day during the car wreck for _Dark Moon._

Ren took a deep breath and told her, with as little detail as he could, about the trouble that he had gotten into. About the fights, about getting fired, about hiding things from his parents. And about Rick. Rick who had supported him. Rick who he had trusted. Rick who he had watched die.

"I don't have any excuses," he said quietly. "I ran away and hid from my problems. I tried to erase everything that had happened by pretending the person who had done it never existed." He looked up at her sadly. "I'm a really lousy fairy prince."

Kyoko had listened quietly to his explanation. She was not entirely sure how she felt about everything that he had done, but it was hard to ignore the guilt that was written all over his face. He was sincere at the very least. And he had repaid her honesty with an incredible truth of his own. That in and of itself was almost more frightening than anything that he had said. That he trusted her with this, in spite of the fact that she had been lying to him, keeping secrets...

She stood suddenly, and began to take dishes off the table. He watched her in silence as she took the first stack back into the kitchen, but caught her attention when she returned.

"I'll take you home," he told her. "You don't have to worry about the dishes. I'll take care of everything."

Kyoko gave him her best scolding-Setsu look.

"You will stay away from the kitchen until I have finished with it," she told him severely. "If you walk into that room while I am cooking, something will explode."

Ren blinked.

"We already had dinner."

"Yes, we did. But I still need to make you your Valentine's Day gift."

"You… want to stay?"

She stood next to him and patted his head.

"I think you've punished yourself enough for both of us," she said. "Now, stay out of the kitchen."

Ren smiled and agreed.

He leaned back against the couch and listened to the sound of her cooking, a relieved feeling easing some of the tension that had built up inside of him. He still hadn't told her the most important thing, which was probably more likely to drive her away than anything else he had kept from her. And after tonight things would probably pop up. She would have questions about his life. When she thought about it she would realize that she had acted as him for his father, and he would have to deal with that.

But for now he was content to wait for her to come back out of the kitchen.

When Kyoko did return she wondered if Ren had fallen asleep while he was waiting. But his eyes opened and he smiled as she set the tiny plate down on the table.

On the plate were several small heart shaped cookies with thin ribbons of chocolate drizzled over the top.

"I used dark chocolate, since it isn't as sweet, and the cookies don't have too much sugar in them. And they shouldn't be very heavy," Kyoko explained as she sat down across from him.

"Thank you, Kyoko-chan. They look delicious." She blushed at the use of her name, but could not find the words to discourage him. "Where are yours?"

"Oh. It isn't really dessert. It's supposed to be just your gift. I didn't have time to finish everyone's chocolates and your desert, so I figured I could just make it when I came over."

Ren bit into one of the cookies as he listened to her, pleased with the taste. He really could not resist the food that she made for him.

"I can't just sit here and finish these by myself," he told her. "It would be horribly rude. They're delicious, by the way. You have to have one."

"No, it's really alright. I made them just for Tsuruga-san!"

But Ren wouldn't have it. He grabbed a second cookie and leaned over the table, holding it in front of her mouth.

"You have to have at least one," he stated. Kyoko shook her head, her lips clamped shut. "Kyoko-chan, you can either eat this cookie, or I will not ever respond to you again unless you call me Ren. Including at work."

Kyoko let out a small "Ee!" before Ren took advantage of her open mouth to shove the cookie in. She could hardly spit it out, so she chewed it obediently and swallowed.

"So… now you'll eat the rest?"

"Yes. Now I will eat the rest."

He finished off the plate in a few minutes under Kyoko's watchful gaze. He thanked her again when he was finished and she smiled happily. Then they did the dishes and Ren decided it really was time for her to go.

"We'll need to get you back at a reasonable time so that Kotonami-san isn't angry at me," he told her as he grabbed her jacket, then proceeded to help her into it.

"You're probably right," she mumbled as a small blush crept onto her face again. Really, there had to be something wrong with her. Was she getting sick?

Before she could step away, Ren bent down and kissed her cheek softly. Her already red face flushed deeper and Ren found himself strangely satisfied by the effect. When she looked up to question him he gave her his best senpai smile.

"Don't you remember, Kyoko-chan? Some people use kisses as a way to express their thanks."

"Yes, but I told you last year that for Japanese people-"

"I'm not Japanese," he told her, his tone teasing. Kyoko stopped arguing and shook her head. Sometimes, she just could not beat this man. This was one of those times.

Ren drove her home, but before she could get out of the car, he stopped her.

"I have something I need to ask you."

"What is it?"

"I know that back in Kyoto you gave Kuon permission to call you Kyoko-chan, but I'm guessing you would probably be more comfortable if I didn't call you that right now. Am I right?"

Kyoko considered this for a moment.

"I don't mind you using my name," she admitted. "But I think people at work will find it a little strange. Do you think that you could call me Mogami-san at work? And then call me Kyoko-chan when we aren't."

"That should be fine."

Kyoko looked down.  "And… can I call you Kuon?" she asked softly. "When it's just us?"

Ren could not decide if he was more excited about the "call you Kuon" or the "just us," but he smiled happily.

"Yes. You can call me Kuon when it's just us."

Kyoko returned his smile.  "Then… goodnight, Kuon."

"Goodnight, Kyoko-chan."


End file.
